Briquet-machine.



PATENTED DEC. l, 1903.

F. MEYER.

BRIQUET MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.,29, 1903.

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N0 MODEL:

No. 745,968. PATENTED DEC.1, 1903.

F. MEYER.

BRIQUET MACHINE. l APPLIGATION FILED JAN, 29. 190s. No MODEL. e SHEETS-SHEET z.

PATENTED DEG. 1 1903.

E. MEYER. BRIQUET MACHINE. APPLIOATION Hmm JAN. 29, 190s.

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N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED DEU. l, 1903.

P. MEYER.

BRIQUET MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 29, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL Sens.

No, 745,968. PATENTED DEG. l, 1903.

F. MEYER.

BRIQUET MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 29, 1903. No MODEL. e sHBBTssHBBT s.

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No. 745,968. PATENTED DEG. l, 1903.

P. MEYER. BRIQUET MACHINE.

APPLIUATIN FILED JAN. 29, 1903.

6 SHEETS-'SHEET 6.

Maes.- @d la/91W @M2 .f J6 I l UNITED STATES Patented December 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OE FIVE-SIXTHS TO EUGENE J. KIRBY, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND THE CHICAGO AMERICAN- FUEL BRIQUETTING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIQUET-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,968, dated December 1, 1903.

Application lerl January 29,1903. Serial No. 140,971. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it knownthat LFREDERICK MEYER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Briquet-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to compressing-maxo chines whereby powered or pulpy material may be pressed into a hard briquet form.

The main objects of my invention are to provide a machine which is rapid and continuous in operation and capable of receiving` ma- I 5 terial, such as peat, in its natural, soft, and moist state and compressing same into hard and dry briquets, to provide means for feeding material into molds and compressing same by applying pressure in a series of stages and 2O releasing the pressure between each stage, so

as to permit the escape of air or water coniined in the interstices of the material, and thus prevent such air or water from expanding the material after the final pressure is released, and to provide a system of opposed plun gers whereby a great degree of compression may be had with comparatively little movement of the compressing mechanism. I accomplish these objects by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figurcs l and 2 represent a longitudinal vertical section along the center line of a device constructed according to my invention. Figs. 3 and l together represent a top plan of the same. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Figs. l and Fig. 6 is a section on the line G (3 of Figs. 2 and 4, some of the parts in the background being omitted for the sake of clearness.

4o In the construction shown the supportingframe consists of a bed-plate l, having rigidly secured thereon a plurality of standards upon which the operatin g mechanism of the device is mounted. The framework of the machine is so constructed that two similar machines may be placed end to end, the parts of the second machine being shown broken away at the right of the drawings. A cylindrical mold member 2 is journaled on a horizontal axis in the standards 3 and 4 of the support- 5o ing-f rame. The member 2 has extending longitudinally through same a plurality of moldapertures 7. The apertures 7 are arranged in an annular series equally spaced and at equal distances from the axis of the member 2. The walls of the mold-apertures 7 are cylindrical at the middle proportion of their length and diverge in conical form at their ends, as may be seen in Fig. 2. The standards 3 and 4 are each provided with a plural- 6o ity of guide-apertures S, within which are slidably mounted a plurality of pairs of opposing plungers E). The plungers 9 are ar-v ranged in two sets, each comprising three pairs, and are disposed in parallel relation to the axis of the member 2 and so spaced and at such distances from said axis that they may be caused to simultaneously enter a corresponding number of the apertures in the member 2. The plungers 9 are in each set of 7o varying length, each being somewhat longer tha-n the plunger next preceding it. Of the plungers 9 three pairs are mounted in the upper part of the machine and three corresponding pairs are mounted in the lower part. A pair of spiral conveyers l0 are j ournpaled in the standard ll of the supporting-frame, each in alinement with one of the mold-apertures 7 in the member 2. Suitable hoppers 12' are provided for supplying material to the con- 8o veyers l0. The couveyers lO are preferably reduced in diameter toward their delivery ends and are surrounded by a conical conduit 13, so as to compress the material somewhat before delivering same to the mold-ap- 8 5 ertures 7. A pair of cross-heads 14. and l5 are slidably mounted in the supporting-frame at opposite ends of the member 2. The plungers 9 are rigidly secured to said cross-heads and the cross-heads are movable only in adi- 9o rection parallel with the axis of the member 2. In the construction shown the cross-head la is slidable on the guide-rods 16 of the supporting-frame, and the cross-head l5 is supported by its corresponding plungers 9.

Power is applied to the machine by means of a belt connected with the pulley 17, which is mounted on a counter shaft 18 and connected with the main shaft 19 by means of the gears 20 and 21. The shaft 19 has rigidly secured thereon a y-wheel 22 and a pair of cams 23. The cams 23 are each provided with a circular groove 24, which is disposed eccentrically of the shaft 19. Each of the grooves 24 has seated therein a shoe 25, which is slidable along the groove 24. The shoes 25 are connected together by means -of a shaft 26. The shaft 26 is conined against vertical movement by means of an arm 27, which is pivoted at 28 to the framework 29, upon which the shafts 1S and 19 are journaled. A pair of levers 30 is fulcrumed at 31 in the upper part of the frame 29, and a corresponding pair of levers 32 is fulcrumed at 33 in the lower part of the frame. The inner ends of each pair of levers 30 and 32 are connected by a shaft 34. The shafts 34 connect with the shafts 26 by means of the links 35 and with the crosshead 15 by means of the rods 36. The crosshead 14 is connected with each pair of levers 30 and 32 by means of the links 37, which are pivotally mounted on the shafts 3S, extending between and connecting' said levers. The shafts 3S and 34 are disposed at opposite sides of the fulcrums 3l and and at equal distances from said fulcrums.

A third cross-head 39 is slidably mounted on the rods 16 and is connected with the levers 30 and 32 by means of the links 40. Since the links 40 connect with the levers 30 and 32 at a greater distance from the fulcrums 31 and 33 than is the case with the links 37 the movement of the cross-head 39 is correspondingly greater and more rapid than that of the crosshead 14.

The outer periphery of the revoluble mold member 2 is provided withaseries of ratchetteeth 4l and is caused to rotateintermittently through an arc corresponding to the spacing between the mold-apertures 7 by means of a spring-pressed pawl 42. The pawl 42 is pivotally mounted on a crosshead 43, which is vertically slidable in suitable guides on the standards 3 and 4. The cross-head 43 is operated by means of a link 44, which connects same with a bell-crank lever 45, which is in turn connected with the cross -head 39 by means of a slotted link 46.

Two discharge-plungers 47 pass through suitable apertures in the standard 4 and are connected with the cross-head 39 attheir lefthand ends. The member 2 revolves in the direction of the arrow7 43, and the dischargeplungers are suitably located so as to enter the mold-apertures 7 in the member 2 immediately after such apertures have passed one series of the plungers 9. The movement of the cross-head 39 is sufficient to cause the plungers 47 to pass entirely through the member 2, and thus discharge the completed briquets from the mold-apertures 7. Suitable chutes 49 are provided for receiving the bri- Y quets discharged by the plungers 47. A centering-plunger 50 is disposed in parallel regitudinally slidable through the standard 4. The plunger 50 is pointed at its advancing end 51 and is connected with an arm 52 at 53. The arm 52 is fulcrumed in the frame at 54 and is provided with a jaw 55, adapted to engage a pin 56 on'one of the lower links 40. The jaw 55 is so formed that the pin 56 will be in contact with same during a portion only of its advancing movement. Since the pivot 53 is at a considerably greater distance from the fulcrum 54 than the pin 56, the plunger 50 will move more rapidly than any of the other plungers and will therefore enter the member 2 in advance of any of the other plungers. The pointed end 51 of the plunger 50 serves to center the member 2 and bring the mold-apertures 7 into exact alinement with the plungers 9.

The conveyers 10 are rigidly mounted on the shafts 57, which are driven by means of the belt 5S, which passes over the pulleys 59 and 60.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: Peat or other material which is to be formed into briquets is placed into the hoppers 12. The conveyers 10 are driven by means of the belt 53, and the remaining parts of the mechanism are driven by a belt on the pulley 17. During each revolution of the shaft 19 the shaft 26 is caused to reciprocate horizontally on account of the eccentricity of the cam-grooves 24. This movement is communicated by means of the links 35 to the levers 30 and The range of movement of the lever 32 and its connected mechanism is indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The lever 30 has a movement corresponding exactly with that of the lever 32. Then the shaft 19 makes a half-revolution from the position shown in Fig. 1,. the cross-heads 14 and 15 through their connections with the levers 30 and 32 will be drawn toward each other, and the various pairs of opposing plungers 9 will be forced into the mold-apertures 7 from opposite sides. Simultaneously with the advancing movement of the cross-heads 14 and 15 the cross-head 39 is pushed forward by means of the links 40, connecting same with the levers 30 and 32, and the plungers 47 are thereby caused to pass through the apertures of the member 2 which are in alinement with same. Similarly and at the beginning of the stroke the pin 56 on the lower link 40 moves the arm 52 and causes same to rapidly advance the centering-plum ger 50, which arrives at the member 2 and centers same before the advancing ends of any of the other plungers enter their respective apertures. The jaw 55 is so arranged that the pin 56 leaves same after the plunger 50 has entered the member 2 to a sufiicient depth for the purpose of centering` same, and the plunger 50 ceases to advance. During the latter part of the advancing movement' of the cross-head 39 the link 46Y turns the bell-crank lever 45 and draws the pawl 42 downwardly a suflicient distance lation to the axis of the member 2 and is lonto engage the next succeeding tooth 41 on the IOO IIO

member i. As the shaft 19 now rotates through the remaining part of its revolution the various plungers are withdrawn from the apertures 7 and returned to the position shown in the drawings. As the link 40 moves backward the pin 56 again comes in contact with the arm 52, causing same to withdraw the centering-pin 50. During the return movement of the various plungers and until all of same have been withdrawn from the apertures in the member 2 the pin 0l on the bell-crank lever 45 rides in the slot 62 in the link i6. The continued movement of the link di@ draws the bell-crank lever into the position shown bythe full lines in Fig. 2 and forces the pawl 42 upward, thus advancing the member 2 through an angle corresponding to the space between two adjacent moldapertures.

It will be seen that during each revolution of the shaft 19 the plungers will be forced into the mold-apertures, and during their withdrawal from said apertures the member 2 will be rotated one space. Thus each of the mold-apertures 7 is first brought into alinement with one of the conveyers l0, where it receives a quantity of material. Later said mold-aperture 7 is successively brought into alinement with and the material therein is operated upon by each of the plungers 9. On account of` the arrangement and varying lengths of the plungers 9 the material receives three separate and successive compressions each to a greater degree than that next preceding. The release of the pressure between each stage of compression allows the escape of water or airfrom the mold-apertures, thus preventing same from interfering with the compression. This procedure results in a hard and compact briquet, Upon the arrival of the briquet to a position of alinement with the discharge-plunger 47 it is forced out of the mold-apertures 7 and delivered from the machine through one of the chutes 9. As the operation of the machine continues each mold after the discharge of its briquet passes to the next conveyer and receives a new charge and is then operated upon bythe other series of plungers.

It will be seen that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. l therefore do not confine myself to such details except as hereinafter limited in the claims.

lVhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a compressi11g-machine, the combination of a frame; a mold movably mounted in said frame; suitable feeding mechanism for supplying material to said mold; a plurality of plun gers disposed in said frame, apart from said feeding mechanism, in parallel relation to said mold and longitudinally slidable in said frame; suitable mechanism for moving said mold successively into alinement with each of said plungers; said plungers being arranged to enter said mold and compress the material therein to successively varying degrees of compression; and means for discharging said material from said mold after same has been operated upon by said series of plungers, substantially as described.

2. ln a colnpressirig-machine, the combinanation of a frame; a cross head slidably mounted in said frame; a series of plungers of varying length secured to said cross-head and arranged in parallel relation to the direction of motion of same; a member having therein a series of molds spaced to correspond with said series of plungers; mechanism for supplying material to said molds; mechanism f or intermittently moving said member so that each of said molds is successively brought into approximate alin ement with each of said plungers; mechanism for forcing said plungers into said molds after each movement of same; an additional plunger adapted to enter one of said molds and enter said member in suitable manner to bring said molds into exact alinement with said plungers previous to the entrance of said plungers into said molds; and mechanism for discharging said material from each of said molds after same has been operated upon by said series of plungers, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a supporting-frame; a member journaled therein upon a horizontally-disposed axis and having a plurality of molding-apertures extending through same from side to side, in a direction parallel with said axis, and arranged around said axis at points equidistant therefrom; a plurality of pairs of plungers acting into said moldingapertures, each pairl consisting of opposed plungers actingtoward each other from opposite sides, the movement of different successive plungers being limited to different successive depths in said molding-apertures; means for intermittently rotating said member; feeding mechanism apart from said plungers; and means for operating said plungers, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a supporting-frame; a traveling member operating in said fra-me and having a plurality of molding-apertures 'therein open toward each end; a plurality of pairs of opposed compression-plungers acting into said apertures, and arranged to have the movement of different pairs of plungers limited to different depths in said apertures; means for moving said member so as to advance said apertures to different pairs of plungers; feeding mechanism acting apart from said plungers; and means for operating said plungers, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a frame; a member movably mounted in said frame and having a series of molding-apertures extending horizontally through same; a series of pairs of horizontally-disposed opposed compressionplungers mounted in said frame the opposed plungersbeinglongitudinallymovabletoward and from each other; a horizontal conveyer acting apart from said plungers for feeding IIC different plungers limited to different depths in said apertures; means for intermittently rotating said member so as to advance said apertures successively to different plungers; feeding` mechanism acting into said apertures before same are advanced to said plunger; and means for operating said plunger-s, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago this 19th dayof January, 1903.

FREDERICK MEYER.

Vitnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, E. J. KIRBY. 

